Simulation is a useful tool in medical training and in preparation for medical procedures. For example, simulation can be used for training students in a professional discipline on the different techniques related to that discipline. Similarly, simulation can also be used to assist experienced professionals in planning or testing out different scenarios that would either be infeasible or outright dangerous to do in the field.
The use of simulations by professionals in the medical field is generally restricted to training medical students and planning complex procedures. The advantage of simulations is that they allow the surgeon to practice and plan techniques, such as pedicle screw placement for spinal surgery, in advance of the actual procedure, thereby reducing risk to the patient. Due to recent advances in imaging technology, accurate three-dimensional models of the anatomy can be presented by the simulator, to the surgeon. The surgeon is then able to utilize pre-defined anatomical atlases or actual patient data for planning the surgical procedure.
A disadvantage to current medical simulation systems is the lack of natural interaction with the simulated anatomical structure. Existing simulation software often consists of nothing more than a standard desktop software package, whereby all interactions are done through a keyboard and/or mouse. More complex simulation systems are available that have the ability to accurately simulate one particular surgical technique for training and planning. However these systems require specialized and costly hardware, and lack the flexibility of a purely software solution.